Lost Hope
by LunaRyuu
Summary: Link leaves Hyrule and returns several years later to find the land destroyed and the people enslaved by a new race that now inhabits the land.
1. A Returning Hero

Chapter 1  
  
Link sighed with exhaustion and sat up from his reclined position beneath a shady tree.  
  
He was currently in a large green field nearby a neighborly town. He had just left the  
  
town after buying some supplies and listening to some rumors from the townspeople.   
  
He yawned and sat up, removing his green hat that accompanied his Kokiri tunic and  
  
ruffled his hair before smoothing it back down. He glanced over at his faithful steed,  
  
Epona, who was grazing nearby. He walked over to her and patted her nose  
  
affectionately. Link reached into his pocket and pulled out a carrot for her to munch on  
  
while he smoothed down her mane.   
  
"We're gonna be leaving soon, alright Epona? You ready to go?" he spoke to her softly.  
  
Epona in reply neighed and tossed her head. Link grinned and returned to the shade of the  
  
tree, after Epona finished her treat, and gathered his things.   
  
"We're not too far from home, girl," he continued while strapping his satchel to her  
  
saddle. "You'll be seeing Malon soon. Doesn't that sound nice?" Epona neighed again in  
  
response, almost as if she understood her master. Link knew she couldn't though.   
  
He always liked to speak to her because he wasn't often around people, he usually just  
  
kept to himself. Link didn't exactly have very many friends. He had many acquaintances  
  
who, perhaps, *believed* they were his friend. The few friends he did have were all  
  
female. Even his *horse* was a girl.   
  
And even though most men would not mind this, it bothered Link that he wasn't really  
  
acquainted with any men. He wouldn't mind a male companion to speak to every once in  
  
awhile about manly things.  
  
He had been gone from Hyrule for about three years now and he was about twenty years  
  
old. He had left Hyrule to lose the restless and confined feeling he had had there.   
  
Princess Zelda had insisted he stay in the castle with her, and it was hard to argue with the  
  
controlling blond princess. She had protested greatly when he announced he was going to  
  
leave.   
  
It gave him a sense of belonging that she was so against his departure. That told him that  
  
she wanted him to be around and that she enjoyed his company. Or at least that was what  
  
Link thought it meant. Her whining had no effect on his resolve though, and he had set  
  
off for new lands and new adventures.  
  
He had indeed found what he wanted: some variety in his otherwise boring and peaceful  
  
life. He had encountered many different cultures, met many interesting people. He had  
  
rescued damsels in distress, slayed vile monsters, and protected villages from incoming  
  
attacks.   
  
All in all, he was totally depleted of his heroic vigor and wished to return home and relax.   
  
All he wanted to do was return to the castle and let Zelda fawn over him and force him to  
  
bed, while the servants waited on him head to toe. It wasn't a selfish wish, he believed he  
  
more than deserved such treatment.   
  
Mounting Epona, Link sped off in the direction of Hyrule, the excitement rising in his  
  
belly at the anticipation of seeing his home once more after being gone for so long.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Really short. I love little scenes with Link and Epona! They're so cute! ^_^ Anyway,   
  
tell me if you like it and I'll continue.  
  
-LunaRyuu 


	2. Lon Lon Ranch

Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
The wind blew Link's blond hair into his face and he pushed the strands out of his eyes  
  
for the hundredth time within the past hour. His excitement to finally see his home again  
  
had risen after traveling past some familiar landmarks. Over the years, they hadn't  
  
changed a bit. It was only a few more miles before he'd finally be in Hyrulean territory  
  
once more.   
  
First, Link decided, he would go see Malon like he had promised Epona. The young hero  
  
could tell from Epona's fidgeting whenever he stopped to rest and eat, that she too was  
  
anxious to go home.   
  
Link wondered what Malon would look like now after three years having past. He  
  
remembered how her long flaming red hair would sway in the wind, how her sky blue  
  
eyes would twinkle when she gazed upon him, and the exciting quality of her voice when  
  
she spoke to him.   
  
Link chuckled to himself. "I wonder if she still calls me 'Fairy Boy'," he mused. He had  
  
to admit, he didn't mind when she called him that, even though he always pretended it  
  
irritated him.   
  
Next, after Malon, he'd go and visit the Kokiri in the forest. He'd see his old house and  
  
pick on Mido. Maybe even play with the children, who now recognized him as the 'boy  
  
without a fairy' from his childhood years. After some fun with the Kokiri children, he'd  
  
go see Saria in the Forest Temple and maybe catch up on old times.   
  
Lastly, the Hero of Time planned to go to the castle and create quite a commotion by  
  
barging in without announcing himself. It made him smile to think of the look on  
  
everyone's faces when their hero returns to them after a three year absence.   
  
Link thought of the expression that would be on Zelda's face if he climbed her tower and  
  
came into her room by the balcony. He nearly laughed out loud, imagining what the  
  
princess would do. She'd grab him in a tight bear hug embrace, crying that she hadn't  
  
seen him in so long and that she missed him, while at the same time hitting him for  
  
coming into her room unannounced.   
  
A slight red hue graced Link's cheeks as he thought about her. When he had decided to  
  
leave Hyrule, it had been the hardest to break the news to her. She, with her soft blond  
  
tresses and baby blue eyes, had captured his heart. He was quite aware of her inability to  
  
return his feelings because of her social status, so he kept his amorous feelings for her on  
  
the down low for fear of being hurt. Link had always wondered if she felt the same way  
  
about him.   
  
So wrapped up in his thoughts, Link failed to realize that he had breached Hyrulean  
  
territory and had been trekking through Hyrule Field for the past five minutes. He only  
  
became aware when Epona stopped abruptly, nearly causing Link to slam his face into the  
  
back of Epona's neck, and reared up, neighing nervously.   
  
Link grabbed onto the reigns to keep his seat on his steed's back, searching for the  
  
offender that had frightened her with sharp eyes. His eyes widened as he finally took in  
  
his surroundings.   
  
The sky was dark and cloudy, lightning struck in the distance, foreshadowing an  
  
impending storm. The grass, for as far as Link could see, was charred black. Not a single  
  
flower or plant other than the grass grew from the black earth. The air was eerily thick  
  
with mist that gave an ominous feel to the atmosphere.  
  
Despite the mist, Link could make out Death Mountain in the distance with thick  
  
tumultuous ebony clouds hovering over its opening. Link could see slightly to the east  
  
the Lon Lon Ranch. Over it too, was a dark ominous cloud. Other than that, it looked  
  
basically the same from the outside.  
  
Directly north of him, the blond young man could see a large dark palace, reminding him  
  
greatly of Ganon's Castle. There was an even greater cloud hanging over this structure  
  
along with a heavy mist surrounding it. Link hoped it was merely an illusion that made  
  
the castle's usually pristine ivory surface appear a dingy, squalid black. He hoped to Din  
  
it was his imagination.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Upon entering the ranch, Link could already tell that it wasn't the same. It disheartened  
  
him to think that one of the places he wished would not change, had. It was dark, even  
  
though it was only midday. Link led Epona at a slow walk past the house and the stables  
  
and into the field surrounding the corral. He was surprised by the scene.  
  
Men in black outfits armed with bow and arrows and swords, lined the walls of the ranch  
  
about fifty feet from each other. In all, there was about twenty of them. Their faces were  
  
pale and their eyes glowed mysteriously. The majority of them had black hair, skirting  
  
their shoulders, but several of them had light blond hair.   
  
Link assumed they were all some type of soldiers but he had never seen people who  
  
looked like they did. Perhaps someone who didn't know the Hylians very well would just  
  
assume there was only one race present in this ranch, but Link could quite clearly discern,  
  
there were two.  
  
Cautiously, he dismounted Epona and tethered her at the gate that was always open and  
  
had only been closed in the chaotic future where Ganon ruled and Ingo owned the ranch.   
  
He patted her nose and whispered comforting words to her to ease her nervousness. She  
  
seemed to sense something wrong here too. He walked past the open gate, toward the  
  
corral, hoping he would find Malon on the way there and she would explain what was  
  
going on rather than one of those guards.   
  
A young woman, maybe near Link's age, with short brown hair was hurrying by Link  
  
holding a pale of milk that looked too heavy for her. She was sloshing most of its  
  
contents onto the ground. Link caught her by the arm on her way to the stables.   
  
"Excuse me, miss. Do you know where Malon is?" he asked her. Her eyes widened in  
  
fear and she dropped the pail, spilling all of the milk onto the dry dirt that quickly  
  
absorbed it. The frightened girl held her hands up to her face, as if to shield herself from  
  
an impending attack.   
  
"I-I'm sorry! Please don't hit me!" she pleaded with him. Link raised an eyebrow,  
  
puzzled. "I wasn't going to hit... look, I just wanted to know where Malon was. She's got  
  
long red hair and-"  
  
"Stupid girl!" a voice from behind the woman shouted.  
  
Link watched in horror as one of the guards that had left his post struck the girl in the  
  
back of her head. She shrieked in pain and trembled on her knees, holding her head and  
  
crying pitifully. "Look what you've done! You spilled perfectly good milk all over the  
  
damn floor!" The guard kicked her in the ribs and she cried out.  
  
Link clenched his fist at his sides. He grabbed the guard's arm before he could strike her  
  
again. "Stop! Why are you hitting her? It was a mistake!" he growled. The strange man  
  
with the pale face and glowy green eyes raised a black eyebrow at him. "You new on the  
  
job or sumthin'? We gotta punish them for wasting merchandise. We lose money!"  
  
Link narrowed his eyes, but the guard continued unhindered. "The only way these girls  
  
learn not to make mistakes is to beat 'em up! Didn't they tell you that before you-"  
  
Link had had enough. He socked the man in the face with a vicious left hook. The  
  
woman on the ground shrieked, making the gesture more dramatic, and catching a lot of  
  
attention. The man stumbled backwards, holding his cheek. His lip was busted open and  
  
his nose was bleeding a steady stream of blood. He shook his head and stared at Link in  
  
surprise and anger.  
  
"What the hell was that for?!"  
  
He was met by another sock to the face, and another, until he was laying on the ground  
  
unconscious. Link breathed heavily, staring at his unmoving body. Not that the punches  
  
had taken anything out of him, but he was so overwhelmed by anger that anyone would  
  
treat a woman, or anyone for that matter, like that.  
  
He straightened up and returned to the woman, helping her up. "Are you alright?" he  
  
asked her gently. She nodded, her eyes wide with confusion and slight relief. "Please,  
  
you must go!" she whispered, trying to push him away. Puzzled, Link fought off her  
  
pathetic attempt to move him. "Why?" he asked.  
  
She looked frantically about. "They'll come for you!" Link now noticed several guards  
  
running towards them, swords drawn. The hero cursed lightly under his breath. "Please!"  
  
she pleaded again. Link returned his gaze to her. "Will you be alright?" She nodded  
  
quickly. With that as a good enough answer, Link took off running for a good place to  
  
hide from the guards so he could make his escape.  
  
Link pressed himself against the wall in the cover of the shadows as several guards ran  
  
by. "I saw him go this way!" one of them exclaimed to the others. They all passed Link's  
  
hiding spot. Link let out a sigh of relief. He suddenly jerked to attention when he felt  
  
someone's presence extremely close behind him.   
  
Hand on the hilt of his golden blade the Gilded Sword, Link spun quickly around to face  
  
the offender of his personal space. Though he tried to prevent it from happening, his  
  
mouth dropped open as he stared up at the silhouette of a large burly...person standing  
  
merely a foot away.  
  
Before Link could draw his sword, a colossal fist slammed into his stomach, effectively  
  
knocking the wind out of him. The incapacitated Hero of Time hunched over, clutching  
  
his chest. His face showed an expression of soundless agony and his mouth was open,  
  
with no sound escaping his lips.  
  
He felt his whole world go black, just as a muscular arm caught him before he could hit  
  
the ground.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
And there's chapter two! I know it's a cliffhanger. Doesn't everybody hate those? I  
  
already have most of chappie three written so it'll be up real soon. Tell me what you  
  
think!  
  
-LunaRyuu 


	3. Story Revealed

Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda.  
  
Chapter 3  
  
"Is it really him?" a gentle, childlike voice inquired.  
  
"Of course! I know my Brother when I see him!" a second booming, gravely voice  
  
replied.  
  
"Oh, it's been so long..." the first voice said.  
  
The owner of it approached where Link lay upon soft blankets partially awake and  
  
listening to their conversation. He felt the gentle sensation of small soft fingers brushing  
  
his bangs out of his eyes.   
  
"Oh, Link. Why did you have to leave?"   
  
The hero's eyes flew open then and the fingers were snatched away by their owner. It  
  
took a moment for his eyes to focus but when he finally could, his eyes shot directly to  
  
the green-haired young Kokiri girl who stood at his bedside.   
  
"Saria?" he managed to utter, his voice sounding deprived of air. He sat up slowly to see  
  
her better.  
  
"Link! You're awake!" the young child exclaimed, flinging her arms around his neck.   
  
With her momentum, she knocked him back onto the covers. Link elicited a soft yelp as  
  
he felt a sharp pain shoot through his chest and stomach. Saria pulled back, her big blue  
  
eyes wide with concern.  
  
"I'm sorry! Did I hurt you?"  
  
Link didn't reply to her, but reached beneath the sheets to press his hand against his  
  
gauzed upper torso, that he had not realized until right then was bandaged. He flinched.   
  
"Why does it feel like my rib cage has been crushed?" he muttered to himself.  
  
"Ha ha! I guess that would kinda be my fault!" the second voice from earlier stated.   
  
Link stared into the shadows to see the same silhouette from before. It stepped out of the  
  
darkness to reveal itself to be....  
  
"Darunia!?" Link exclaimed.   
  
A wide smile spread across the Goron chief's face.   
  
"My Sworn Brother! You recognized me after so long?"  
  
Link laughed. How can anyone *not* recognize you if they've met you before, Darunia?"  
  
Link joked. "Of course I remember my Sworn Brother!"  
  
Darunia chuckled. "I'd come over there and give you a big Goron hug, but I see you're in  
  
a lot of pain right now." Link looked distinctly relieved.  
  
Saria hopped off the bed. "I'm going to tell the others you're awake, Link," she said  
  
excitedly, racing out of the room. The Sworn Brothers watched her go.  
  
Darunia crossed his large arms over his chest. "A lot has happened since you left,  
  
brother," he said gravely. Link frowned, "I had a bad feeling that was the case..." the  
  
returned hero murmured.  
  
"Link!" a familiar voice called from the doorway.   
  
Link looked up and grinned when he saw Malon standing in the door frame. "Malon. I'm  
  
so glad you're ok! I went to the ranch looking for you and when I didn't find you there,  
  
I..." he trailed off as she nodded her head.  
  
She ran to his bedside and flung her arms around his neck and carefully but tightly  
  
hugged him, aware of his injuries. She pulled away, tears gleaming in her eyes.   
  
"Oh, Link! I've missed you so!" she whispered, her voice shaky. He squeezed her arm  
  
comfortingly.  
  
"Link, my love! You have returned at last!" another familiar voice exclaimed from the  
  
front of the room.   
  
Link inwardly groaned as Princess Ruto of the Zora flounced in, practically shoved  
  
Malon aside, and squeezed him in an uncomfortable scaly embrace. She, unlike the  
  
red-headed farmgirl, was not as gentle and the hero winced as he felt like his lungs were  
  
being punctured by his ribs. The Zora Princess pulled away, an expression of fury and  
  
adoration simultaneously displayed upon her visage, if you can imagine that.   
  
"How could you leave and not tell me?! Do you know how much I worried about my  
  
poor little fiancé?!!" she whined. Link rolled his eyes.   
  
"Quit botherin' the kid, Ru, you *know* he doesn't wanna listen to you whine. No one  
  
does," a female voice chastised. Ruto, Malon, as well as Link, turned to see Nabooru  
  
leaning against the door frame with her arms crossed over her chest.  
  
Link grinned. "Nabooru!" She nodded to him and came over to his right side. She  
  
smirked. "You get cuter every time I see you, kid." Link blushed and scratched the back  
  
of his head. "Uh, thanks."  
  
Ruto clenched her fists at her sides. "Don't you ogle my husband-to-be!"  
  
Nabooru and Link both rolled their eyes. "Don't be dumb, Ru. He's not gonna marry  
  
you!" the Gerudo thief replied.  
  
"He is so!"  
  
"Is not!"  
  
"Now, now, you two. Don't start arguing when we have so much to discuss!" scolded  
  
Rauru the Sage of Light as he entered the room. Behind him, the rest of the Sages entered  
  
as well, with Saria being the last, who closed the door behind herself.  
  
Link watched everyone pile in and looked frantically for one person who didn't appear to  
  
be there. "Why are you all here?" Link asked, a hint of worry in his tone. If all the Sages  
  
were in this...well, wherever he was, then that couldn't be good.  
  
Rauru sighed. "There is much to tell you, Link. As I tell our tale, please, please do not  
  
interrupt until the end," the old man answered, his voice solemn. Link nodded, slightly  
  
perturbed.  
  
Rauru began, "A year after you left Hyrule, Hero of Time, a race of Dark Elves came  
  
across our land and took over. Their leader, Serephin, captured Hyrule Castle in a matter  
  
of days after the battle for its claiming began. The Elves wiped out the Hylian army and  
  
their leader crowned himself the King of Hyrule.   
  
"We Sages managed to escape with the Princess, but he found us and captured Zelda after  
  
a deadly battle that left us all wounded and therefore unable to save her. We have heard  
  
rumors that he has married her, but none of her being with child.  
  
"We know that his objective here in Hyrule is to collect all the pieces of the Triforce. He  
  
had heard of its power and wished to experience it for himself. He has taken Zelda's  
  
piece and managed to pry information out of someone on the whereabouts of the other  
  
two.  
  
"He learned that Ganondorf in the Evil Realm held a piece and he somehow was able to  
  
break the seal and enter. He battled Ganondorf for the Triforce of Power and defeated  
  
him easily. With the seal broken, Ganondorf was able to escape the Evil Realm, but not  
  
with his Triforce piece. He was greatly injured from the battle, so Serephin found him as  
  
no longer a threat and left him.   
  
"Now that Serephin has two pieces of the sacred relic of the goddesses, he is nearly  
  
unstoppable. He is still in search of the final piece, the Triforce of Courage, which you  
  
hold Link, and keep safe. The reason Darunia was forced to knock you out at the ranch  
  
was because you might cause too great a commotion. Serephin has had troops out  
  
searching for you because he is aware that you possess the final piece. If he has the  
  
Triforce of Courage as well, he will have completed the Triforce and there would be  
  
nothing that could stop him."  
  
Link frowned, staring at his sheets. Everyone watched him, waiting for his reply to the  
  
story. He finally lifted his head to look up at the old Sage. "So, what must I do?" he  
  
asked. Rauru's face became even more solemn than before. "You shall do nothing," he  
  
replied firmly.  
  
Link's eyes widened in surprise. That was certainly *not* the answer he had been looking  
  
for! "I will do *nothing*?! Zelda is in the castle with that horrible man and Hyrule is  
  
under his rule, and you want me to do *nothing* about it!?" he exclaimed, infuriated.   
  
Rauru nodded and Impa continued, "Yes, Link. You will do nothing. The last person  
  
who will do anything about this is you. You have exactly what he is looking for and  
  
barging into the castle, sword aswinging, will only give him what he wants without him  
  
having to go through too much trouble to get it."  
  
Link clenched his fists at his sides. "So what are we supposed to do?!"  
  
Nabooru spoke up this time, "We will formulate a plan that will give us the upper hand  
  
on those filthy Dark Elves," she said. She shrugged her shoulders. "Although, that's been  
  
our objective for the past two years, and we've gotten nowhere with it."  
  
The others mumbled in agreement. "We hoped though, that when you returned, things  
  
would start looking up," Malon said. She smiled at Link. "You were always our good  
  
luck charm." Link kept her gaze before Impa's voice interrupted his thoughts.  
  
"Link, there is something else you should know..." she said, slowly, almost as if she was  
  
afraid of his reaction to the rest of the news. Link nodded to her, seriously. She sighed  
  
and motioned for him to follow her. "Come."  
  
His wounds were not so grave that he could not walk. He stepped carefully out of bed,  
  
the others clearing a path for him and followed Impa out of the bedroom and into another  
  
across the hall. This room was dimly lit by a lone candle by the bedside. It illuminated a  
  
lump in the sheets, and Link instantly wondered who it could be.  
  
Darunia stepped in behind them and created a nice sizable flame in the palm of his  
  
enormous hand that lit up the whole room like it was day time. It was currently evening,  
  
Link could see from the window. The moon was shining in but only brightened the floor  
  
beneath the window.   
  
Impa cautiously crept toward the bed, with Link following, and gently shook the lump  
  
beneath the covers. They grunted and rolled over, the sheets falling from their face to  
  
reveal their identity. Link's eyes widened in horror.  
  
"Ganondorf?!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
My theory is that the Hylians are descendants of Humans and Elves, and therefore are  
  
*not* Elves. That really would only apply to this story, for now. If I have another story  
  
with Elves and Hylians in it, my theory would apply to that too. I don't really believe this  
  
is true, but I just want it to be that way, is all.  
  
I've already begun thinking about chapter four, so it won't take long for it to come along  
  
and you won't have to shoot me for the next chapter. ^_~   
  
As always: Review me!  
  
-LunaRyuu 


	4. Ganondorf

Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda.  
  
Chapter 4  
  
The Gerudo King sat up in bed, his gleaming orange gaze set upon his archenemy. He smirked. "So, you finally decided to show up, boy," he said. Although he didn't show it in his stature, his voice gave away the true caliber of his injuries. While he had meant to sound taunting and intimidating, his voice came out as sounding gravelly and weak.  
  
Link bared his teeth and reached for his sword, his mind set on slaying the one who had caused so much destruction and chaos in Link's life. He drew his golden blade out in a wide arc and held it up, tip downwards, above Ganondorf's prone form on the bed.  
  
"Link, stop it!" Impa's voice rang in his ears. The Sage of Shadow seized the sword from his hands and threw it to the floor. Link turned to her, incredulous. "Why did you stop me?!" he demanded. Impa shook her head and placed her hands on the Hero of Time's shoulders.  
  
"Link, there is no need to fight him. He is on our side now." Link's eyes widened at this statement and he turned frantically to the man on the bed then returned his gaze to her. "You don't truly believe he's on our side?! You can't trust this man!" Impa simply shook her head again. "Link, you have been gone for three years. Things have changed since while you were away."  
  
"No!" Link said fiercely. "There is no way three years could've changed this man! No way!" The sound of Ganondorf's chuckles sent waves of anger spiraling through Link's frame. "You know nothing, boy. While you were out prancing and having fun with your worthless life, Hyrule has gone through hell and back. Perhaps you didn't realize it, but such events can have dramatic changes on people," the dark king said.  
  
Link was filled with fury. "Shut-up! You of all people should know what it's like to put people through that!"  
  
"Link!" Impa bellowed, startling the blond man. "That is enough! Ganondorf is on our side now. Whether you except or not, he is an ally. I will have no more of this bickering between you two!" She turned to Ganondorf who was yawning boredly. "And you, Ganondorf. No more taunting Link, or anyone for that matter. You know he will be easily agitated by you," she scolded. The Gerudo man shrugged nonchalantly. Impa glared at Link who was glaring daggers at Ganondorf, absolutely infuriated.  
  
Without warning, Link turned and left the room at a brisk pace. "Link!" Impa called after him, but there was no reply: he was already gone.  
  
Link leaned against the stone wall of the cliff that overlooked a vast forest. He had left Impa and Ganondorf, knowing that if he had been in that room any longer, he would've done something stupid and crazy. He had been running blindly through the hallways and had found a doorway that led to the outside, where he was standing currently at this moment.  
  
Seeing the outside, though, did not help any with Link's obliviousness to where he was located. He supposed that was what the Sages had intended, so he wouldn't leave them in an inane attempt to rescue Princess Zelda.  
  
Zelda. That name brought such memories and feelings to his mind. Link ran his fingers through his hair. Why had he left? Why did he have to be so selfish and leave right when he would be needed the most? Because he had been gone for those short three years, Hyrule was a completely different place. Enraged, Link slammed his fist into the wall he leaned upon, dislodging several loose pebbles that tumbled to the ground.  
  
"Link?" a timid voice startled him. The hero glanced up in surprise to see Malon standing at the doorway, a few feet away from where he stood. Her eyes were wide with surprise and mild fear, an obvious sign that she had witnessed his little outburst.  
  
"D-did I come at a wrong time?" she asked. Link shook his head. "No, I'm...I'm just a little stressed with the turn of events right now. I wouldn't mind a person to talk to," he replied, sinking to the floor. Malon came over, taking the initiative, and sat down beside him, curling her legs up to her chest and wrapping her arms around her knees.  
  
They sat in silence for awhile, the wind gently blowing their hair in the breeze and the stars in the sky twinkled merrily at them. Malon took a subtle glance over at Link and saw he was staring intently at the sky. She had a feeling that he didn't really see the countless stars in the night sky. She had a feeling he saw right through it, so lost in his thoughts.  
  
The red headed farmgirl took a deep breath, summoning up her courage and spoke up. "What are you thinking about?" He blinked and glanced over at her. "What?" Malon sighed. Whatever it was that he had been thinking about had certainly captivated him. "What are you thinking about?" she repeated, waiting expectantly for his answer.  
  
Link met her gaze for a brief second, before looking away. "Nothing," he replied, very unconvincingly. Malon's heart sank. She knew what he had been thinking about. It was all too obvious he was thinking about her.  
  
That woman...How it made Malon angry that the woman who Link had fallen in love with would never be able to return the feelings Malon knew Link had for her. It pained her to know that Link would always be hurting inside, aware of the love that could not be reciprocated.  
  
"Malon."  
  
Malon jerked her head up in surprise and stared into the concerned eyes of Link. "Are you alright?" he asked. Puzzled, Malon raised an eyebrow. Why wouldn't she be alright? Link reached out his hand and touched her cheek. "You're crying. Is something wrong?" Malon gasped, surprised that she had been crying without even realizing it. She pulled away from his touch, albeit reluctantly, and wiped frantically at her cheeks.  
  
"I'm fine," she replied quickly, almost as unconvincing as Link had been before.  
  
"But-"  
  
"They're tears of joy," Malon interrupted firmly. Her suddenly hardened features softened as she reached out and squeezed his hand. "I'm....just so glad you are finally back with us, Link," she said softly. It was certainly the truth, but it wasn't the reason why she had been crying. It didn't matter though, Link bought it. The corners of his mouth lifted up into a slight smile and he squeezed her hand back.  
  
"I'm glad to be back too."  
  
Zelda stood at the window of the bedroom she shared with her wretched husband. She watched as the moon slowly made its trek across the sky, wondering if the Sages were all ok. She sighed, clutching the windowsill tightly in her balled up hands.  
  
She hated what had happened. She hated how Hyrule had come to be. And most of all, she hated Link for leaving. If he had stayed, then Hyrule would have had a better chance at surviving against Serephin's army. And perhaps, she would not have been captured and forced to marry Your Rottenness.  
  
A single tear dripped from her bottom eyelid and slid slowly down her cheek. She rubbed it away with her sleeve. Zelda bit her lip, knowing the flood gates were about to open. She tried to hold the tears in but they burned at her eyes, and she gave in, collapsing onto the window frame. Her whole body was racked with sobs as she let go of all the feelings that she had barely managed to keep bottled up for the whole day. This was almost like a daily ritual for her.  
  
Goddesses, how she hated her life! She hated everything now. She'd even go so far as to say she hated Hyrule, but there was no point. Hyrule had done nothing but entrusted its safety into her and the Chosen One's hands, and she had let it down. Hyrule had the right to hate her.  
  
"Your highness?" a voice from behind her called softly to her. The broken queen slowly turned around, not bothering to compose herself before being seen before a lowly servant such as this messenger boy who stood at the doorway.  
  
"What is it?" she demanded, her voice coarse from crying. The boy lowered his head, to hide the angry look that had crossed his face the moment Zelda spoke to him.  
  
None of the servants in the castle liked Zelda. They had never seen her happy or smile a single day since taking over the castle. She had never bothered to at least acknowledge their existence, nor had she ever been kind to any of them. The servants understood the reason for Zelda's despondence, but it had not been any of the servants fault for what had transpired in Hyrule, so there was no reason for the former Hyrulean Princess to take her anger out on them.  
  
The boy lifted his head back up, knowing that it was rude to look down at the floor when speaking with the royal family. "His Majesty wishes to speak with you...in his study, your highness," he relayed.  
  
Zelda stood to her full height, her back turned to the servant boy. "Alright. I am coming," she answered. She waved a hand to dismiss him then straightened her clothes and wiped her face dry of tears. She didn't want Serephin to know she broke down and cried every night. She had built up the image for him that she was a tough princess, or queen now, that wouldn't be broken so easily.  
  
In the king's study, Zelda found her vile husband flipping through a large brown book upon his desk. When she entered, it angered her that he totally ignored her and continued reading. The queen flounced up to his desk and slammed her hands upon it making a loud cacophonous boom in the large, half- empty room.  
  
Serephin's icy blue gaze settled upon her and instantly her anger faded away into slight fear. "You always find a way to annoy me Princess, don't you?" his smooth deep voice drawled. It was odd, him of all people Zelda thought would not refer to her as 'Princess', but that was what the majority of the time he chose to acknowledge her by. It was almost demeaning in a way: he was king and he called her princess, as if she was below him in stature. Zelda hated it. That was what Link had used to call her and she didn't want any reminders of him.  
  
"Why did you call me?" she demanded. She had meant to sound brave and imposing, but only managed to sound slightly timid. The Dark Elf smirked and rose from his chair to his full height, dwarfing Zelda by nearly a foot. She stared up at him and took a step back, though regretted it immediately.  
  
"I have been doing some research, my love, and I have come across something interesting..." he trailed off, knowing she was growing annoyed. "And?" she prompted impatiently.  
  
Abruptly, he grasped both of her arms in his hands and held her firm. Zelda stared at him in puzzlement, fear slowly welling up in her stomach. "I have found that the bearer of the final piece of the Triforce, the Hero of Time, is connected to the Princess of Destiny, by mind and spirit...." He stared hard into her slowly widening eyes. "You are the Princess of Destiny. You will lead me to the final piece."  
  
Zelda screamed and Serephin released his bruising hold on her, startled. She gripped her head tightly in her hands, shaking her head from side to side. "It's not true! It's not true!" she continuously shouted.  
  
Puzzled, the Elf king walked calmly around his desk and grabbed his spasming wife. "What is not true, woman?" he demanded, shaking her roughly. Her dark blue gaze settled upon him. "He is dead! Link is dead and you will never get his piece!" she spat in his face. His eyes narrowed and he backhanded her, knocking the queen to the floor.  
  
Serephin bare his teeth. "I know you're lying, woman. Have you already forgotten that I possess two pieces of the Triforce? I would know if the bearer died. I would feel his connection break." He glanced at the back of his right hand and watched with satisfaction and hunger as the Triforce symbol revealed itself and illuminated his pale features. His silvery hair shone golden in the light of the Sacred Relic left behind by the Goddesses.  
  
Two of the three triangles were filled: the uppermost and the one on the left. "In fact", he began, clenching his fist and returning his gaze to his wife on the floor, who was rubbing her cheek gently with the back of her dainty hand while glaring hatefully up at him. "I believe the connection has grown stronger..."  
  
He watched, pleased, when Zelda's eyes opened wide. He chuckled. "So you felt it too, didn't you Princess?" Serephin turned to the window that lay behind his desk. "It seems your hero has finally returned to Hyrule."  
  
Yes I know, making Zelda hate Link isn't the best thing to do. But I noticed that in every Zelda fic I've read where Link leaves blah blah blah and Hyrule goes through heck and whatever, that Zelda always waits patiently for him and still loves him and such not. Well I wanted to be different. Plus it helps with what I intended for the story anyway. So if you don't like it....well I can't do anything about it, because that's how I'm gonna write it so nyah! Anyway, review me!!  
  
-LunaRyuu 


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